title. Under Gaines' guidance, Diana Taurasi became the second player in WNBA history to win the regular season scoring title, the WNBA MVP Award, the WNBA Championship, and the WNBA Finals MVP Award in the same season. In November 2011, Gaines was promoted to general manager of the Mercury, taking over a position vacated by Ann Meyers-Drysdale. On August 8, 2013, the Phoenix Mercury announced that they had relieved Gaines of his duties as head coach and general manager, and named former University of Arizona and Grand Canyon University men's basketball head coach Russ Pennell as the team's interim head coach. Gaines would have his first coaching experience in the NBA with the Phoenix Suns as a player development coach, starting back in the 2010–11 season. In January 2013, Gaines was temporarily promoted to being an assistant head coach for the Phoenix Suns alongside Dan Panaggio after both Dan Majerle and Elston Turner would resign from their roles after the announcement of Lindsey Hunter being the team's interim head coach. He would then continue working under the organization throughout the rest of the 2012-13 NBA season until the Suns hired permanent replacement assistant head coaches to replace their old coaching staff, although Gaines would still work for the organization as a player development coach alongside Irving Roland during the 2013–14 and 2014–15 seasons. However, on July 30, 2015, Gaines would end up being promoted back as a full-time assistant coach for the Suns for the 2015-16 NBA season due to some changes with the coaching and player development staffs respectively. Gaines would also be considered a prime candidate for the interim coach tag for the Suns after head coach Jeff Hornacek was fired on February 1, 2016. However, after a generally awful season that was even worse than their 2012–13 season, Gaines would not have his contract renewed with the team. Before the start of the 2016–17 season, Gaines would reunite with head coach Jeff Hornacek and assistant coach Jerry Sichting as an assistant coach for the New York Knicks. Prior to the start of the 2018–19 season, the Detroit Pistons hired Gaines as a Coaching Consultant. Before the start of the 2019–20 season, Gaines was hired as an assistant coach with the Washington Wizards. Personal life Gaines' father is African-American and his mother is of Japanese descent. Notes External links 1965 births Living people African-American basketball coaches African-American basketball